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Colorado mother pleads guilty in son’s death

By The Associated Press
7:47 p.m. MDT August 18, 2014

A Routt County woman accused of killing her 9-year-old son in a murder-suicide attempt has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.
(Photo:
Coloradoan library
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DENVER – A Routt County woman accused of killing her 9-year-old son in a murder-suicide attempt has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.

Lisa Lesyshen broke down in tears and answered Judge Michael O’Hara through sobs as she entered her plea Monday in Denver, The Denver Post reported.

Lesyshen was left paralyzed after shooting Asher Lesyshen-Kirlan and then herself May 29, 2013, at their home south of Steamboat Springs.

She earlier pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death and domestic violence. Steamboat Today first reported that she intended to change her plea.

“I would imagine that the punishment you experience every day pales to the punishment” called for by the court, O’Hara told her.

Lesyshen’s husband, Michael Kirlan, declined to speak at the hearing but afterward said he was satisfied with the sentence and glad there would be no trial.

During Lesyshen’s preliminary hearing, Kirlan testified that he awoke to gunshots the morning of the shooting, which came two days after his wife discovered he was having an affair, Steamboat Today reported.

He said Lesyshen was worried he was going to abandon his financial obligations to her and their son, which he said he never intended to do.

Lesyshen was jailed in Denver and attended court hearings there because of her medical needs.